ATI RN
Test Questions on Autonomic Nervous System MCAT Questions
Question 1 of 5
Which of the following manifestations is consistent with a client who sustained a traumatic left parietal lobe injury?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Left parietal lobe damage causes Gerstmann’s Syndrome (agraphia, acalculia, agnosia). Memory/vision issues suggest temporal lobe, personality changes suggest frontal lobe, and motor loss suggests frontal/motor cortex damage.
Question 2 of 5
One reason for the division of the ANS is that:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The ANS divides into sympathetic and parasympathetic due to their typically opposing effects (e.g., heart rate up vs. down). Both use two neurons; abdominal organs have dual innervation.
Question 3 of 5
The receptors for acetylcholine at the ganglia of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions are:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nicotinic receptors at ANS ganglia (both divisions) bind acetylcholine from preganglionic neurons. Muscarinic are postganglionic, atropine blocks muscarinic, isoproteranol is adrenergic.
Question 4 of 5
A ganglion is an aggregate of nerve cell bodies:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ganglia are clusters of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS (e.g., sympathetic chain). Inside CNS, they’re called nuclei.
Question 5 of 5
Inability to walk a straight line may indicate damage to which cranial nerve?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII) mediates balance; damage causes ataxia (e.g., staggering gait). Others affect eye movement or tongue.